PLAYOFF RECAP: North Stars advance to SEMHL league championships

For the first time since 2004, the Ile des Chenes North Stars will be playing for a league championship.

The North Stars defeated Springfield 3-1 in the South East Manitoba Hockey League best-of-five semi-finals, advancing to face the Winkler Royals.

Winkler, which finished atop the regular season standings, made quick work of the Red River Wild, winning three games over five days to advance.

Ile des Chenes’ series may have flipped in game one. The North Stars led the Winterhawks 2-1 heading into the final frame, only for the home team to storm back and take a late lead. Burke Heide’s equalizer and Matthew Osadick’s overtime winner proved the difference in the game and the series.

Ile des Chenes will host games March 18, March 21 and March 27 (if necessary) in the best-of-seven league championships.

The North Stars were defeated by the Springfield 98’s in the final of the Hanover-Tache Hockey League in 2004. Their last league championship, outside of a historic Allen Cup run in 2003, came in 2000.

HIGH SCHOOL HOCKEY

The Zone 4 hockey championships came down to the final game of the regular season, with the Morden Thunder coming out on top 3-0 in a winner-takes-all game three over the Morris Mavericks March 9. Morden will be playing in the Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association AAAA hockey championships.

The Mavericks couldn’t generate a goal during their two away games of the final, falling 4-0 in game one of the championship.

One of those teams playing in the AAAA championships will be the Steinbach Regional Sabres, who received a wildcard berth after they were eliminated from the Winnipeg High School Hockey League’s top division playoffs.

The championships begin March 13, with games taking place at the Seven Oaks Arena. The Sabres are in a pool with Vincent Massey and Jeanne-Sauvé.

In the Winnipeg Free Press Division, Springfield fell to Dakota 2-0 in the best-of-three league semi-finals. Dakota and College Louis Riel are playing in the league finals.

West Kildonan leads Lorette 1-0 in the Price Division finals, with game two completed after press time March 11. All games in the final are at the Seven Oaks Sportsplex.

HTJHL

Mitchell and Springfield were deadlocked in the Hanover-Tache Junior Hockey League semi-finals, with a critical game five in the best-of-seven series taking place after press time March 11.

The teams have gone back and forth so far, trading home wins. In game four, Mark Plett and Carlos Penner scored goals 2.5 minutes apart mid-way through the second period to flip the game.

The Macdonald Swarm are one win away from advancing to their first HTJHL finals. The Swarm won game one and two of their semi-final series on the road in Niverville.

The higher-seeded team needed to start there due to scheduling issues at Sanford Arena. Game four takes place after press time in Sanford.

U18 AAA

The Eastman Selects fell 3-1 in the quarterfinals of the Manitoba U18 AAA league.

The Selects had a chance to force a decisive game five, but a 3-0 second period from the Winnipeg Thrashers during game four in the Southeast Event Centre March 5 doomed their season. A desperation attempt to pull the goalie with eight minutes left down three goals wasn’t enough to generate offense.

Eastman gave up two empty net goals, losing the game 6-1 and the series.

In the female league, the Selects are one win away from advancing to the league championships for the second consecutive year thanks to a triple-overtime goal scored by league rookie of the year Émilie Carrière in game three of their league semi-final against Westman.

Game four was completed after press time in Hartney March 11. If a game five is needed it will be March 13.